2025 Volvo EX90 Brakes Problems

My car is a Volvo EX90 and it is totally electric. Twice in the past 6 weeks the car has died, once I was driving and an electric and brake warning came on and told me to stop the car. I pulled over immediately and the car never worked again-- it would not turn on and it has been "bricked" for the past 21 days. I was in the middle of a 4 lane street which is very dangerous, luckily there was an entrance to a church where I pulled over because the car immediately died thereafter. If I would have been on the highway when this occurred I could have died. The first time the car "bricked" it failed to turn on in a parking garage after being parked for about 90 minutes. Volvo replaced the batteries after the first incident but they have been unable to tell us what is wrong with the vehicle now and the service department has had it for 21 days as of today.

NHTSA ID

11771579

Incident

Sep 25, 2026

The One Pedal Drive function (regenerative braking) intermittently deactivates without warning after startup. This issue has occurred multiple times under normal driving conditions. When the accelerator is released, expected deceleration does not occur, resulting in reduced braking response. No warning indicates that the system has disengaged, and it appears to deactivate without any driver input. This unexpected change in braking behavior creates a safety risk by increasing stopping distance and requiring immediate corrective driver action to maintain control of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11741767

Incident

Jun 3, 2026

On [XXX] around [XXX], while driving on [XXX] fro Santa Paula to Ojai, my car displayed a message on the dash that said "critical brake fault, pull over safely." When I applied the brakes they did not respond. I came to a stop only when the car lost momentum. When I exited the car to investigate, I shut the driver's door and was locked out. Neither my key card, nor phone key worked and the Volvo app indicated the reason was that the car was still driving it was not). I was just a mile away from descending a steep and winding road on the [XXX]. Had I been on that stretch of the road, the consequences I am certain there would have been a serious crash, as one side of the road has no shoulder and the other side is a steep cliff into a ravine. I had it towed that night to the dealership and it has been there at the dealership for almost three weeks. Both the dealership (Rusnak Volvo) and Volvo Customer Care have been uncommunicative, though on 12/7/22 Volvo Customer Care informed me I have a case number ([XXX]). When I called for an update today 12/12/25, I was told only that it had been assigned. No additional information has been provided. A simple internet search indicated that this brake issue has affected many Volvo cars in the past few years. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11704750

Incident

Nov 22, 2025

On three occasions my car has initiated automatic emergency braking while I was driving across the same grated bridge deck (Montlake Bridge in Seattle). In each instance there was no potential for collision and my car slammed on brakes and jammed on my seatbelt with varying levels of discomfort and terror. This also created a safety risk because I could have been rear ended as there was so reason to suddenly stop and certainly was shocked to have my car brake urgently and restrain me suddenly with seatbelt. My best guess is that this related to boats traveling under the bridge as this happened three times during higher boat traffic. I reported incident to Volvo and was told a case would be opened and that I would be contacted. I was not contacted. I scheduled a service appointment to address this and other issues with the EX90 that are unrelated but for the third time my appointment was cancelled as the Volvo dealership is refusing to service the ex90s they have been selling.

NHTSA ID

11693952

Incident

Sep 16, 2025

1. The passenger side daytime fog light occasionally fails to operate, which could be a safety concern in certain driving conditions. 2. The one-pedal drive feature automatically switches off, even though it is saved in my profile. This may present a hazard if I accelerate as if one-pedal drive is still active. 3. The blind spot warning system does not provide an audible alert, and it sometimes activates even when no vehicle is nearby. 4. The reverse warning system occasionally alerts when there are no obstacles behind, making it difficult to trust the warnings. This could be dangerous if a real obstacle is present and the alert is ignored. 5. The door handles can sometimes auto-lock while being held, which poses a risk of finger injury, especially to children. 6. The lane-keeping assist feature occasionally stops functioning unexpectedly, which could be dangerous if the driver is relying on this assistance. 7. The infotainment system’s microphone or speaker intermittently stops working, which is particularly risky if a phone call is ongoing through the system. I have had to manually change the mode while driving. 8. The car can sometimes be unlocked or driven simply by having a paired phone present, with no additional verification checks. This could be a security risk if someone gains access to my phone.

NHTSA ID

11691768

Incident

Sep 23, 2025

The vehicle has exhibited unexpected braking without any apparent external trigger, posing a safety risk. Most troubling, we have now had a third incident of the seatbelt pre-tensioning unexpectedly and forcefully, which caused my wife several days of lower abdominal discomfort. The most recent episode happened while parking at low speed. These experiences have undermined our trust in the vehicle’s safety systems.

NHTSA ID

11691630

Incident

Oct 3, 2025

I have documented 42 issues with this vehicle over the past 9 months of ownership, supported by multiple videos. These issues range from minor annoyances to serious safety concerns. The most alarming incidents include: a) Sudden disengagement of the powertrain b) Stability control system disabling unexpectedly c) Malfunctioning airbags d) Faulty or inoperative lighting systems e) Malfunctioning wipers in rain f) Inability to unlock or start the vehicle To date, I’ve documented and categorized 42 distinct issues. The vehicle has been in service four times, totaling over 48 days, yet the problems remain unresolved.

NHTSA ID

11680818

Incident

Feb 15, 2025

One pedal driving randomly turns off when starting the vehicle. This is a safety issue because we often don't notice its off until we're attempting to stop and taking your foot off the accelerator does not result in braking as expected.

NHTSA ID

11678075

Incident

Jul 30, 2025